


Overthinking

by roughedup



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Fluff, Keith is like uhhh 20/21, Loving Sheith Is Best Sheith, M/M, Sheith Secret Santa 2017, Shiro is 25 y eh, Smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-02 08:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13314030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roughedup/pseuds/roughedup
Summary: Shiro hasn't professed his love to Keith yet. He wants it to be sincere and meaningful, and plans on timing it just right so that one day in the future, Keith hopefully feels the same way. Unfortunately, Shiro has a loose tongue and even looser thoughts, and Keith has a way with making people spill their words.





	Overthinking

**Author's Note:**

> done for the [2017 Sheith Secret Santa Event](https://sheithsecretsanta.tumblr.com/) for [Hannah](https://twitter.com/GaySpaceDad)!  
> life certainly got in the way of this, but nonetheless i managed to finish by the skin of my teeth and i hope it's okay!!  
> *dabs to hide my embarrassment at how painfully late this is*

Enigma. 

That's the word that's carelessly used by so many to describe Keith. 

It's wrong, of course. Keith isn't an enigma. He's not a mystery or a puzzle or something to figure out. He's someone who's selective on who he lets into his world, and thankfully, by the will of some higher being or the stars and moon aligning just right, Keith has allowed him to be one of those people. 

He knows this because of the texts Keith sends him through the passing months, the growing frequency of them and the words he chooses to use. It's also in the longing glances he throws to him when they're in class together but separated by a handful of seats. He knows because it's in the way they eat together, they sleep together, they live together. 

He knows because Keith has told him so. 

"You," he had started, gloved hand roughly coming to a rest against his chest, "you really do like me, don't you? No matter how I act or what I do, you just stay by my side, don't you?" He had bitten his lips in thought, chewing on it, releasing it, then chewing on it again. Eventually, he had lifted his eyes to meet Shiro's, and when they did, Keith had seized him by the collar of his jacket and had kissed him. He kissed him breathless, kissed him to the very edge of seeing stars and even then some. And god oh god he had loved each and every second of it, thought about it and him every second of his day. He loved Keith. He loved his little leather-jacket wearing, nails painted black and always swearing fire of a man. So when he heard a classmate obnoxiously call him a mystery one day, he had almost stood up and had told him that he was wrong, that Keith wasn't an enigma. But he had kept quiet and instead had watched as Keith threw a glare to the student. 

But that always left the question of what was Keith? 

If he wasn't an enigma, what was he? 

Well, to him, Keith was a storm. 

You knew he was there, his presence drawing attention even if he sat in the back of the class with his hood pulled up, and yes, even though he wasn't an enigma, he could be unpredictable. Would he be a spring shower or summer storm? A hurricane or nothing more than a looming cloud? Sometimes it was hard to tell, but he was getting better at reading Keith, and after months of sticking with him, he could figure out if Keith needed a breather or a clumsy make-out session, a back rub or cheap Chinese food, all from just the look in his eyes. And while it wasn't easy getting to this point—Shiro knew it wouldn't be easy, but he was never afraid of a challenge—he also knew that the reward of being close to Keith, both physically and mentally, would be priceless. 

And he was right. 

He knew he was right because Keith took care in not getting cigarette ash on his clothes. He knew he was right because after Keith took his own drag on the cigarette and slowly exhaled, smoke curling around his head like a ghostly halo, he always passed the cigarette back to Shiro, sometimes even pressing it to his lips for him. It's why when the wind picked up as if to remind them that November was approaching, did Keith snuff out the smoldering cigarette in the dirt beside them, then slowly leaned over to rest his head against Shiro's shoulder.

"Are you cold?" Shiro asked as he wrapped an arm around Keith's waist. "We can start walking back home if you are." 

Keith shook his head even as he sniffled, and with a soft laugh Shiro started to stand. 

"Come on," he said, "let's go, Sniffles. I don't want you getting sick." But Keith stayed put, and in doing so, prevented Shiro from standing. Shiro huffed out another laugh, breath clouding in the air, and gave in with a sigh as he leaned back against the tree. "So what would you like to do?" He asked, eyes lifting to the clear sky above them. The stars glittered and winked, looking more like diamonds than seemingly-infinite balls of fire, and while he was focused on the heavens before him, Keith snuggled into his side, pressing close.

"I want to stay here," Keith mumbled through their clothes. "I want to stay here and tell you that I love you."

And there it was, so nonchalant and quiet that if Shiro had been doing anything else, he probably would have missed it.

His heart skipped a beat, and with a slow glance down, he found Keith looking up at him, pale nose and cheeks tinged pink with cold and indigo eyes reflecting the moon.

Shiro forced himself to blink, to take a calming breath to steady his emotions, and when he exhaled, he pressed a gentle kiss to Keith's forehead, eyes sliding closed.

"Oh Keith," he whispered, "I love you too."

And it felt right.

There had never been any need to try and time those little words just right as Keith had a way of making him talk. 

"I know you do," Keith replied, "it's why I had to say it first." 

Shiro pulled away to face him once more, and as he did, Keith wrapped his arms around his neck, keeping him close. "What do you mean?" Shiro asked. "Why did you have to say it first if you knew all along?" 

Keith smiled up at him, eyes wrinkling at the corners, and warmly laughed. "Because you're too kind," he told him. "I knew you would never say it first because you're always in that head of yours over-thinking. I knew you would try to time it just right, that you would think it had to be just perfect, when in reality, it's already perfect because you're saying it." 

Shiro flushed. Not because he was embarrassed, but because Keith was right—and maybe he was a little embarrassed by how accurate Keith was. He sighed and lowered himself until he could comfortably drape his neck over Keith's shoulder, and once he was settled, Keith hummed. 

"When you propose to me—" 

Shiro's stomach filled with butterflies at the thought. 

"—promise me you won't over think it." 

He chuckled and pulled back only to playfully bump his cold nose against Keith's cheek, eliciting a wide grin from the both of them. 

"I promise." 

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr: [gardenjock](http://gardenjock.tumblr.com/)  
> twitter: [gardenjock](https://twitter.com/gardenjock)


End file.
